Multitasking

I’m fast learning a fact about myself. I am unable to do many complex tasks all at one go.

When I entered software industry, I was buoyant, overzealous and in my endeavor to get most done within shortest possible span of time, I overlooked my methods that I used to get my work done. At the start it was fine as I was learning and I had a certain latitude from my supervisors – latitude for some errors and all that time, my work would be under serious supervision which both helped me but also made me careless and to an extent reckless as well.

But once that latitude dwindled with my experience, errors started to show up and now they were my ownership – they always were but I never realized it for I was reckless, intolerant, too bloated to realize my own mistakes. For corrections, I was often asked questions that sounded unprofessional at first but today I understand that being error prone is what your supervisor will hate and frankly I would hate it too if I were them. For you are only paid to do just your work and not someone elses – Yes, fire-fighting with someone during an emergency may call this off but at all other times, we try minding only our business.

So I started evaluating what has gone wrong and following are my observations –

1. Irresponsibility towards my errors

2. Not learning from my mistakes as many of them were similar

3. Considering myself as better learned than others which I may have been at some times which gave me a lot of confidence mostly but it’s a very bad trait to have in your armory for it may result in over-confidence.

Here’s what I do these days –

While washing my face every morning, I try to count all the tasks I have to cover during my day in office and try to memorize the list. Whenever I’m free, I keep recalling what is it that’s left on my plate and what priority does it hold. I also try to keep my morning routines as unchanging as possible otherwise it normally results in anxiety and results in a lot of calculations that result in short memory lapses and hence, change in priorities.

During my office hours, I try to avoid all multitasking. Take one task at a time and take it to a logical conclusion and then start another. It may result in extra time but it does make sure that I only eat what I can digest. This lets me keep a clutter-free mind which doesn’t cloud my sense of clear and positive thinking.

I have also been avoiding listening to songs lately while I’m working. This was another problem I found – I try to analyze every song for its quality and listening to songs while I worked distracted me. So, songs now take a backseat till I’m free.

There must be things that I find out later but the aforesaid seem to be working for now.

A politician needs the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen - Sir Winston Churchill